JOIN USDevelop life skills, Deshpande tells students
“The 21st century is the century of competition, quality and consumer satisfaction. Those who are well acquainted with life skills and quality education are likely to get the best opportunity,” said Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R V Deshpande.
He was delivering his inaugural address at ‘Sahyog Career Conclave -2013,’ a job fair for students graduated from Government Colleges of Mangalore, organised by the Department of Collegiate Education in association with SDM College of Business Management, Mangalore on Sunday.
“Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and Saraswathi, the Goddess of knowledge - both reside in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Owing to the contributions of great visionaries like Ullal Shrinivas Mallya, T A Pai and Dr D Veerendra Heggade, there are plenty of educational institutions in this part of the State,” Deshpande said.
He further told that opportunities must be provided to the students belonging to backward communities on the basis of social justice, not making a compromise with the merit. “College curriculum should be such that students obtain life skills,” he said.
Stating that only 17 lakh graduates in the country pursue their higher studies and the rest 53 lakh students do not take up higher education, Deshpande felt for a need to give prominence to higher education and research.
Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade, who blessed the occasion told that the creation of opportunities is the good sign of development. In comparison with the olden days, students of these days are equipped with a wide range of choices in the job market and have an opportunity to select from the best options.
Today, as many as three lakh of youth nationwide are also trained in soft skills in 560 RUDSETIs, in order to initiate their self employment, he said.
“Best MBA colleges are counted on the basis of their student placement record and similarly engineering colleges are identified on the percentage of students who find themselves successful in campus placements,” Heggade said and called upon the students to improve their knowledge on current affairs and to develop their internal quality.
Mangalore South MLA J R Lobo presided over the programme, Department of Collegiate Education Special Officer Monika Ghosh delivered the keynote address, SDM College of Business Management Principal Aruna P Kamath was present.
As many as 47 stakeholders took part in the Job Fair to select from around 1500 candidates, aspired for 500-600 jobs. A total of 350 candidates who were appointed in the venue, were given appointment letters and several candidates were shortlisted for interview and written tests.